Container carrier



MWQEB H. w. MURPHY 3 3M334 CONTAINER CARRIER Filed June 7, 1965 2 Sheeis-$heet l W HNVENTQR HUGH W. MURPHY ATITURNEY H. W. MURPHY CONTAINER CARRIER ZSheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 7, 1965 ENVENTOR HUGH w. MURPHY AWORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 3,310,334 Patented Mar. 21, 1967 3,310,334 CONTAR CARRIER Hugh W. Murphy, Saratoga, Califl, assignor to FMC Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 7, 1965, Ser. No. 461,770 Claims. (Cl. 294-8728) This invention relates to packaging devices and more particularly to carriers or cartons for holding a plurality of containers in a compact sanitary arrangement so that they may be effectively transported and the tops of containers kept substantially free of debris.

In general, the container cartons heretofore known have either not provided adequate strength for supporting the containers carried thereby or have required elaborate and expensive folding schemes for shaping the carton to conform to the dimensions of the container being carried.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a compact container carrier which is inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.

It is another object of the invention to provide a container carrier which is of sufficient strength to withstand a reasonable amount of handling when supporting containers therein.

It is another object to provide a container carrier which utilizes a cover portion for both keeping debris from the tops of the containers and providing additional rigidity for the carrier.

It is another object to provide a container carrier which makes optimum use of the materials necessary for its manufacture.

In principle, the invention embodies a stiff relatively inflexible sheet of material having a plurality of spaced apertures therein. The type of container with which the carton is to be used is one, such as an impact-extruded aluminum beer can, that has at one end an end closure that is larger in diameter than the body of the container. Thus, the container-receiving apertures in the stiff sheets are greater in diameter than the cylindrical body portion of the containers but less than the bead or chime formed at the end closure of the container. The carton is not limited, however, to use with cylindrical containers since it has general utility with other forms of containers. In addition, the container tops are kept clear of debris and the carrier given added support by a thinner relatively flexible sheet which is snugly placed over the tops of the containers assembled in the carton and fastened to the stiff sheet.

The invention will best be understood by referring to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric of a carrier in its assembled form and holding several containers.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevation of the assembled carrier holding a plurality of containers.

FIGURE 3 is an exploded isometric of the carrier partially filled with containers.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary isometric of a modifie form of the carrier with the top cover removed.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the modified form of the carrier shown in FIGURE 4 with the top cover assembled on the carrier.

In general, the container carrier comprises a lowercontainer-supporting carrier sheet and an upper sheet 12; the latter being effective to hold the containers C in place and to add support to the carrier sheet while keep ing the tops of the containers free of debris.

The container carrier disclosed in the instant application is similar to the packing device disclosed in a copending United States patent application to H. S. Noel, Ser. No. 461,771, filed June 7, 1965, filed concurrently herewith and assigned to the assignee of the present application. Some of the important differences between the two applications lie in the thickness of the material used in the cover sheets and the location of the abutting surfaces wherein the cover sheets are secured to their respective carrier sheets. In the instant application, the cover sheet is made of a less expensive and thinner material than in the Noel application and provides more effectively for sealing the tops of the containers from debris by being secured to the carrier sheet at locations more closely adjacent the tops of the containers, such as along the longitudinal centerline of the carrier. With the cover sheet secured to the carrier sheet more closely adjacent the tops of the containers the cover sheet presses more snugly against the container tops leaving less room for the ingress of debris. In addition, the rigidity of the carrier is maintained by the longitudinal rib which resists the bending movement caused by the outermost containers in the longitudinal direction.

The carrier sheet 10 is provided with side edges 13 and end edges 14. The material of the carrier sheet may be any low cost sheet material which is relatively stiff, such as cardboard or plastic. In the preferred embodiment, the carrier sheet is made of corrugated cardboard and a plurality of container-receiving apertures 15 are formed in the sheet and arranged in two longitudinal rows which are spaced inwardly from the side edges of the sheet. The apertures must be formed with a diameter slightly exceeding the diameter of the container body but less than the diameter of the top end closure of the container. Other shapes for the carrier are contemplated, for example the carrier sheet could be round or oval, and the container-receiving apertures could be square in crosssection and form patterns other than two longitudinal rows. Spaced centrally between the rows of containerreceiving apertures are two finger holes 16 which are equidistantly spaced from the end edges 14. It is important that the finger holes be spaced also equidistantly from the transverse centerline of the pattern of the containerreceiving apertures so that the assembled and filled carrier will be easily balanced during transportation thereof. The carrier sheet also has a top surface 18 upon which the bead or chime of the container end closure rests when containers C are placed in the apertures 15 and an under surface 20 (FIG. 2). As can be readily seen the carrier sheet is capable of supporting a plurality of containers in a compact fashion.

The cover sheet 12 has longitudinal side flanges 22 which are provided on their inner surfaces with creases 24 (shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3) and a longitudinal rib 26 formed along the longitudinal centerline of the sheet. The cover sheet is provided with a set of finger holes 28 which are spaced from the longitudinal side flanges and the transverse centerline of the cover sheet the same distances as the finger'holes 16 of the carrier When assembled, the flat base of the rib 26 of the cover sheet 12 engages the carrier sheet between the longitudinal rows of container-receiving apertures 15. The depth of the rib 26 is predetermined to be slightly greater than the height of the container chime. The distance between the lower surface of the cover sheet 12 and the creases 24 on the inner surfaces of the flanges 22 is also predetermined to roughly approximate the height of the container chime plus the thickness of the carrier sheet 10. Thus, as best shown in FIGURE 2, when. the cover sheet is assembled against the tops of the containers Which are resting in the apertures 15 of the carrier sheet, the flat base of the rib 26 will abut the top surface 18 of the carrier sheet and the folded longitudinal side flanges 22 will abut against the side edges 13 and the undersurface of the carrier sheet. The cover sheet is then secured to the carrier sheet by securing the inturned portions of the flanges to the undersurface of the carrier sheet. Also the flat lower surface of the rib 26 is secured at the upper surface of the carrier sheet. The two sheets may be secured by stapling, taping, gluing or any other equivalent means. In a preferred embodiment, the rib is glued to the carrier sheet. When secured, the cover sheet will be in engagement with the tops of the containers C to inhibit contamination of the container end closures by debris, insecticides or other contaminator.

In the modification shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, the carrier sheet 40 and the cover sheet 42 are identical to the respective carrier and cover sheets of the previously described, preferred embodiment. In the modified form, however, the slugs or discs 44 which were removed from the carrier sheet to form the apertures 15 are employed to fill the void between the upper surface of the container end closure and the bottom surface of the cover sheet to further assure the prevention of contaminating debris from contacting the container end closure. Since the diameters of the slugs 44 will in most cases approximate the diameters of the container end closures chimes, the slugs will snugly fit into the spaces circumscribed by the chimes and rest on the container end closures. Thus when the modified form of the container carrier is assembled, the rib 46 will abut against the upper surface of the carrier sheet 40, the longitudinal side flaps will be folded to abut the under surface of the carrier sheet 40 and the under surface of the cover sheet will abut the chimes of the end closures of the containers. In addition, however, in the modified form of the container carrier, the under surface of the cover sheet 42 will also abut the upper surface of the slugs maintaining the slugs in tight engagement with the end closures of the containers, providing additional support and rigidity to the assembled carton, and the slugs will provide back-up members for the cover sheet so that objects placed on the cover sheet will not rupture the sheet at the area di rectly above the cans.

In both forms of the invention, the area of the cover sheet surrounding the finger holes is readily available for advertising and marking in a manner Which is readily viewable by a consumer. The carriers are easy to assemble, inexpensive to manufacture and provide more than an adequate amount of support for the containers While maintaining the end closures of the containers in a sanitary condition. When the carrier is assembled and is holding containers, the filled carriers may be readily stacked to conserve shelf space. Also, the cans are easily removable from the carrier since the protruding can may be readily grasped by the consumer. Further, it will be noted that the rib 26 and the two side flanges coact with the carrier at the secured areas to provide three, generally parallel longitudinally extending beams that provide longitudinal rigidity to the carton. Also, the corrugations of the carrier are disposed parallel to the rib 26 and also provide longitudinal rigidity to the carton.

It will be understood that other modifications and variations disclosed herein may be made Without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and is desired to be protected by Letters Patent 1s:

1. A carrier for supporting containers each having a closure end of a diameter larger than the body of the container, comprising a stiff carrier sheet having at least two rows of longitudinally aligned container receiving apertures, said carrier sheet also being provided with at least two finger receiving apertures spaced between said rows and equidistant from the ends of said rows, a flexible cover sheet overlying said carrier sheet and adapted to abut the end closures of the containers supported by the carrier sheet, said cover sheet having at least two finger receiving apertures aligned with the finger receiving apertures of said carrier sheet, said cover sheet being provided with longitudinal side flanges adapted to be secured to said carrier sheet, and said cover sheet also being provided with a longitudinally extending rib abutting the top surface of said carrier sheet between the two rows of longitudinally aligned container receiving apertures.

2. A carrier for use with containers each having a peripheral edge at one end projecting outwardly from the body of the container, comprising a relatively stiff carrier sheet having a first set of apertures with peripheral edges dimensioned to underlie and support the peripheral edges of the end closures of the containers to be carried thereby, a second set of apertures providing finger holes, a relatively flexible cover sheet having two opposed side flanges bent normal to the plane of said cover sheet and further bent to engage the underside of said carrier sheet, said cover sheet also being provided with a set of apertures of substantially the same size as said second set of apertures and being aligned therewith for provid ing finger holes in said carrier, said cover sheet also being provided with an elongate rib abutting the top surface of said carrier sheet when said cover sheet is assembled therewith, and means for securing said side flanges and said rib to said carrier sheet whereby said cover sheet holds the containers in said carrier sheet, adds rigidity to said carrier sheet, and keeps the tops of the containers free from debris. v

3. A carrier comprising a lower support member hav= ing apertures constructed and arranged to permit the pas= sage of the body portions of containers therethrough but to prevent the passage of beads formed on the end clo= sures of the containers, the peripheral edges around said apertures providing support surfaces against which the beads abut, a cover member overlying said lower support member and the containers supported thereby and hav= ing downturned flanges disposed in abutting relation to said lower member and secured thereto, said cover mem her also having a recessed portion disposed in abutting relation with the top surface of said lower member and secured thereto, said recess being of a depth slightly greater than the height of the beads formed on the end closures of the containers whereby said cover member snugly confronts the end closures of the containers supported by said lower member.

' 4. The carrier defined by claim 3 further including filler members positioned in the voids formed by the beads of the end closures of the containers wherein said filler members provide additional rigidity for said carrier and prevents rupture of the carrier sheet area directly above the can.

5. A carrier for use With containers each having a peripheral edge at one end projecting outwardly from the body of the container, comprising a relatively stiff carrier sheet provided with a plurality of apertures, a first set of said apertures having peripheral edges dimensioned to underlie and support the outwardly projecting peripheral edges of the containers to be carried thereby, a second set of apertures providing finger holes, a relatively flexible cover sheet having opposed side flaps bent nor- 5 mal to the plane of said cover sheet and having creases spaced from the under surface of said cover sheet a distance approximately equal to the thickness of said carrier sheet and the height of said peripheral edges of said containe -rs, said cover sheet also being provided with a longitudinally extending rib spaced equidistantly from said flaps and being of a depth approximately equal to the height of the peripheral edges of the containers, and means for securing said rib to the top surface of said carrier sheet and for securing the portion of said side flaps adjacent said creases to the under surface of said carrier sheet.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

10 G. F. ABRAHAM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CARRIER FOR SUPPORTING CONTAINERS EACH HAVING A CLOSURE END OF A DIAMETER LARGER THAN THE BODY OF THE CONTAINER, COMPRISING A STIFF CARRIER SHEET HAVING AT LEAST TWO ROWS OF LONGITUDINALLY ALIGNED CONTAINER RECEIVING APERTURES, SAID CARRIER SHEET ALSO BEING PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST TWO FINGER RECEIVING APERTURES SPACED BETWEEN SAID ROWS AND EQUIDISTANT FROM THE ENDS OF SAID ROWS, A FLEXIBLE COVER SHEET OVERLYING SAID CARRIER SHEET AND ADAPTED TO ABUT THE END CLOSURES OF THE CONTAINERS SUPPORTED BY THE CARRIER SHEET, SAID COVER SHEET HAVING AT LEAST TWO FINGER RECEIVING APERTURES ALIGNED WITH THE FINGER RECEIVING APERTURES OF SAID CARRIER SHEET, SAID COVER SHEET BEING PROVIDED WITH LONGITUDINAL SIDE FLANGES ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO SAID CARRIER SHEET, AND SAID COVER SHEET ALSO BEING PROVIDED WITH A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING RIB ABUTTING THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID CARRIER SHEET BETWEEN THE TWO ROWS OF LONGITUDINALLY ALIGNED CONTAINER RECEIVING APERTURES. 